January 5, 2015 – IK Multimedia, the leader in mobile music creation, today announced it’s shipping iRig® Mic Field, the first ultra-compact, stereo digital microphone for audio and video field recording on iPhone, iPad or iPod touch – including the new iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3. Slim, light and fully rotatable, iRig Mic Field lets anyone make great audio and video recordings with high-quality stereo sound everywhere.

High-quality stereo field recording
iRig Mic Field is the only mobile digital microphone designed to be used for both video and audio projects. It delivers superb stereo sound by connecting digitally to iPhone, iPad or iPod touch via Lightning connector. Its two high-quality cardioid electret condenser capsules, 24-bit audiophile-grade A/D converter (with 44.1/48kHz sample rate), 115 dB maximum SPL rating and built in low-noise, high-definition preamp allow for pristine sound capture quality at rehearsals, concerts, lectures, speeches, music practice and more, as well as field recording and on-the-move videography projects. iRig Mic Field can create accurate and faithful field recordings in nearly every imaginable context.

90 degrees of flexibility
To better preserve the stereo image while recording audio for video, iRig Mic Field features a conveniently rotatable patent-pending design. With the touch of a finger it can be easily rotated 90 degrees and locked in one of two positions for an accurate stereo image in both landscape and portrait modes. This means that iRig Mic Field can record the proper left and right channel position in any situation – surpassing other mobile microphones that only produce a true stereo sound when held in portrait mode.

Unmatched portability
iRig Mic Field is lightweight and portable. It has a slim form-factor and slips easily into a user’s pocket when finished. iRig Mic Field has been designed with elegance and durability in mind, and it can withstand the rigors of travel thanks to its durable industrial design and protective carrying pouch.

Pocket-sized video production
iRig Mic Field has also been designed with mobile video in mind. It can be used to record video on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch with crystal-clear, professional sounding audio. It’s never been easier to shoot a great sounding video and share it with friends, followers and fans. Now musicians, videographers, journalists, podcasters, casual users and more can get high-quality sound while on-the-go without sacrificing mobility or audio fidelity.

Superior level control
Capturing good sound requires more than just high-quality components; it also requires comprehensive control. iRig Mic Field has everything needed to ensure that sound is recorded at the perfect setting. It features a thumbwheel gain control, an audio-out jack for quality real-time headphone monitoring and a multi-color LED input level indicator for quick visual monitoring.

Record with the power of apps
For immediate stereo recording, an update to IK’s iRig® Recorder app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch will soon be available to fully support iRig Mic Field. iRig Recorder lets users quickly record, edit, process and share their audio, thanks to its intuitive GUI, 8 intelligent effects processors and sharing capabilities. iRig Mic Field also works seamlessly with a wide variety of apps including Apple’s GarageBand and iMovie apps, and iOS Voice Memo and Camera.

Pricing and availability
iRig Mic Field is now available from music and electronics retailers worldwide, and from the IK online store, for only $99.99/€79.99 (excluding taxes).

November 20, 2014 – IK Multimedia, the leader in mobile music apps and accessories, is pleased to announce another breakthrough in mobile music creation: the release of EZ Voice™ and iRig® Mic HD-A. Together they bring real-time vocal processing and digital audio microphone recording to Android devices for the first time.

With EZ Voice, users will be able to enjoy real-time vocal processing and recording on the latest generation of Samsung devices with Samsung Professional Audio, like the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy Note Edge and more.

iRig Mic HD-A is the first digital microphone compatible with all Samsung devices running Samsung Professional Audio as well as other devices running the just released Android 5 “Lollipop” operating system thanks to its new USB audio support.

Real time vocal processing on Android
The new EZ Voice for Samsung Professional Audio devices offers a simple and intuitive way for every singer to create and capture great sounding vocal performances while on the go.

EZ Voice users can process their performances with effects in real-time by applying up to 3 of the available 9 high-quality effects. EZ Voice includes traditional studio standbys like Reverb, Delay, Chorus, EQ, Filter and Level. It also features creative options like Tune, Morph and Choir, which let users apply more radical alterations like changing a vocal performance’s key or gender or even adding in extra voices and harmonies. Users can apply these effects individually or select from a number of included presets for a truly immediate recording experience.

EZ Voice also features a streamlined interface that takes the work out of the recording process – it lets users import any song from their music library and use its included “NO VOICE” function to quickly remove the original vocal track. It clears the way for anyone to step in and give a show-stopping performance.

Available on the new Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge – and soon to be available on the Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 3 and other devices – this app allows singers and vocalists to enjoy real time effects processing anytime and everywhere.

The new Samsung Professional Audio compatible devices come with Samsung Soundcamp, a free and full-fledged music studio app that lets musicians record and compose full songs entirely within the device. The EZ Voice app can be used as a standalone application but also as a plug-in inside the new Soundcamp studio for full recording and play-along uses.

Digital audio capture on Android
And now Samsung and all Android 5 users can enjoy high-quality digital recording thanks to iRig Mic HD-A. It’s the first pro-quality digital microphone for Android that allows plug-and-play connectivity via its included USB OTG cable (an additional USB cable is also available for use with PC). The input signal can be set using the onboard gain control while a multicolor LED provides sound level monitoring.

Featuring a 24-bit audiophile-grade A/D converter, a 44.1/48 kHz sampling rate and a low-noise/high-definition pre-amp, iRig Mic HD-A offers unmatched versatility: Singers can perform and record their voices. Musicians and audio engineers can record instruments in the studio and on stage. And broadcasters and journalists can record interviews and other audio sources while in the field. In all cases, iRig Mic HD-A produces recordings with high-fidelity digital sound and superior clarity previously unavailable on the Android platform.

Along with the iRig Mic HD-A, users can also choose from IK’s current range of analog microphones, like the iRig Voice, iRig Mic and iRig Mic Cast. All of these use the mini jack for the input/output connection with the device. Now singers, vocalists and everyone who needs to capture high-quality audio on their Android devices have multiple options suiting a wide variety of needs, applications and budgets.

But there’s more to IK’s line of microphones than EZ Voice, they’re also compatible with iRig Recorder (IK’s quick and easy audio recorder) and any other Android app that uses the mini jack or USB input to record and capture audio.

Pricing and availability
The new EZ Voice app for Android/Samsung Professional Audio is available through the Samsung Galaxy Apps store for only $4.99/€4.49. A free version is also available. EZ Voice and iRig Recorder are also available on the Google Play store.

The new iRig Mic HD-A digital microphone will be available in December 2014 via the IK Online Store and select music and consumer electronics retailers for $129.99/€99.99. The iRig Voice microphone is available for $39.99/€29.99, the iRig Mic is available for $59.99/€49.99 and the iRig Mic Cast for $39.99/€29.99 (prices excluding taxes).

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August 5, 2014 – IK Multimedia, the global technology leader in mobile apps and accessories, today announced it’s shipping iRig® Mic HD, the first mobile digital microphone for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac and PC. The sequel to IK’s popular iRig Mic, iRig Mic HD is the perfect tool for singers, podcasters, online radio broadcasters, journalists, videographers, home studio enthusiasts and anyone else who needs to record high-definition digital audio on the go. iRig Mic HD comes in black and an exclusive silver version is available only from the Apple Store. Powerful, mobile and affordable: iRig Mic HD is the first handheld digital microphone for everyone.

Designed to perform

iRig Mic HD is the only mobile digital condenser microphone designed for live handheld performance and recording. It delivers high-quality digital sound via an electret condenser capsule, a 24-bit audiophile-grade A/D converter (with 44.1/48 kHz sample rate) and a built-in low-noise high-definition preamp. iRig Mic HD sports an easy-to-use gain control that allows for optimum audio capture at any sound pressure level, from the quiet whisper of an ambient room to the full blast of a loud rock concert. A multi-color LED provides at-a-glance monitoring of sound levels.

Professional plug-and-play sound

For superior recording quality on the move, iRig Mic HD plugs directly into the digital input of your iOS device. iRig Mic HD is compatible with the latest generation of iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices via its included Lightning cable. An optional 30-pin connector is available for legacy iOS devices. You can also use it for instant plug-and-play compatibility with your computer using the included USB cable to connect to your Mac or PC (driver download required for PC).

Capture high-quality sound on the go with the first mobile digital microphone for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac and PC.

A full spread of apps

For immediate recording, iRig Mic HD comes fully equipped with a suite of powerful IK apps: iRig® Recorder for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch is a straightforward audio and editing app for field recording and interviews. VocaLive™ for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch is a powerful vocal effects and multi-track recording app with a suite of 12 professional real-time vocal effects. AmpliTube® for iOS, Mac and PC is the industry-standard guitar studio app that features ultra-accurate digital models of some of the world’s most desirable guitar amplifiers and effects. EZ Voice for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch is an easy-to-use vocal recording app that lets you sing-along and record with any song in your iTunes music library. iRig Mic HD is also compatible with a wide variety of third party apps, like GarageBand, Cubasis, ProStudio Vocal FX, MultiTrack DAW and more.

iRig Mic HD is so affordable that now anyone can capture high-quality digital audio on the go. Whether it’s broadcast interviews in the field, home recording in the studio, memo recording for the office or anywhere else audio needs to be captured.

Pricing and Availability

iRig Mic HD is now available from music and electronics retailers worldwide for $129.99/€99.99 (excluding taxes). An exclusive silver version is also available from the Apple Store.

About IK Multimedia: IK Multimedia is a computer music technology company that offers a diverse range of affordable and easy-to-use music production tools with great sound quality and a realistic look and feel. With millions of installations worldwide, the IK range has been adopted by musicians of every level, from beginners to professionals, to gain access to high-end, studio-quality gear from their computers or mobile devices. iRig®, AmpliTube® and VocaLive™are trademarks property of IK Multimedia Production. iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac and GarageBand are trademarks of Apple, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. iPad Air, iPad mini and Lightning are trademarks of Apple, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

If you’re like a majority of surveyed people, you want to sing. You also want to write what you sing. Singer/songwriters are a very common person type. Other than a good singing voice and an audience, you need some basic equipment with which to record your masterpieces, namely a microphone and some recording equipment. These days, your required recording equipment can be emulated with software. You can record, mix, add effects, and export your works to a variety of formats for public consumption.

The iRig Voice microphone is a standard microphone with a 3.5mm jack, but also includes a free working lite recording studio app named EZ Voice. The input jack also features an earphone jack so that you can speak and listen through the same interface.

The EZ Voice App (Free) allows you to do some basic voice recording, add some live effects, and record foreground vocals with your songs. But, the iRig Voice microphone is compatible with other multimedia apps as well. It works on the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, newer Mac models and Android devices. I’ve personally tested it on my iPhone 5, iPad 4, Mac mini, Windows Phone (Nokia 928B) Metro, and my Android-based HP Slate 7+. All successful and perfect.

Audio App Compatibility List

EZ Voice

Dragon Dictation

QuickVoice

Skype

SP Multitrack

Garage Band

I recorded a short message using the EZ Voice app for you as a demonstration.

I don’t sing well enough to record a music demo, so you’ll have to use your imagination.

EZ Voice Main Screen

The microphone feels and sounds like any professional microphone I’ve ever used. The mic and apps worked together the first time without any issues. I did have to turn off Siri on my iPhone and on my iPad, but that might just be my experience and not yours. Siri kept popping up when I spoke into the mic during testing, so to avoid that annoyance, I disabled Siri.

This is one of the few products that I’ve ever reviewed that I’m absolutely convinced that the pricing is spot on. At $39.99, the iRig Voice is a great value. It performs as well as any microphone that I’ve ever used. I do suggest, as I would with any microphone, that you purchase a pop filter (about $3.00) to alleviate wind noise, pop, and some ambient noise.

Don’t use the mic when you’re charging your device because it creates a little bit of static, or it did for me, on my iPhone.

Why it’s Frugal: The iRig Voice microphone is frugal because its $39.99 price tag is perfect for anyone who wants to get into podcasting, song recording, or voiceover acting without spending a huge amount of money. It’s a great microphone at a great price. It’s an excellent value. Sure, you could spend $1,000 on a better microphone, but why would you?

EZ Voice – List of Effects

The microphone’s clarity is demonstrated very well when using it with the Dragon Dictation app on the iPhone or on the iPad. I’m not the best at enunciating my words (It’s a Texas thing), but the software picked up and correctly typed out every word I said on my iPhone and on my iPad. That’s impressive. I’ve never had that happen before and I always use the same lines for testing:

“Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their party” and “Conjunction Junction, what’s your function”.

Those are two fun phrases that can confuse dictation software due to speech patterns. If you don’t think you can confuse the software, try it by using your device’s built-in microphone. It almost never gets them perfect.

EZ Voice, while free of charge, does prompt you to purchase sound effect add-ons for $0.99 each. I purchased Tune and Morph, although I’m not sure exactly how to use them. I tap the FX icon and then tap the settings but the same list of settings shows up for each, so I must be doing something wrong. I’m not sure at this point if it’s me, that the app isn’t intuitive enough, or that it’s working as designed and I just don’t realize it.

EZ Voice – In App Effect Purchases

In either case, $2.00 isn’t a lot to spend trying out an app. It’s just too bad that it isn’t more obvious how to use the effects. There is a long list of effects that cover everything from arena to robotic to extremely deep to childlike. The effects are a lot of fun. There is one very cool effect called ‘Diana’ that changes your voice into a normal sounding female voice. It’s useful in case you need to sing a female part or speak a female part but don’t have a woman to provide the voice for you. It would work great for recording script dialog or for creating a voiceover for a product or service. It’s very impressive and I recommend it.

The app also allows you to sing along with and record your favorite songs. The instrumental parts are normal volume but the original vocals become background for you. EZ Voice is very well constructed and well thought out app. I do wish it were more obvious how to use the effects, but that isn’t a major flaw, but a little annoying.

I really like the iRig Voice microphone and the EZ Voice app. The microphone is a welcome addition to any musician’s, aspiring singer/songwriter’s, or voice artist’s toolbox. It’s cool to have multiple colors from which to choose. The only problem is that you might not be able to choose a color without a little buyer’s remorse. I suppose that you could collect all six and have one for every mood or gig.

I chose the green one for review because that lime green color has a special meaning for my daughter and me. The microphones are sturdy and well-built. They’re heavy on the end, just like you’d expect, and although IK Multimedia sells a professional digital microphone (iRig Mic HD), this one feels right and sounds right to me. But, this mic is probably best suited for song demos, podcasting, and voiceover work where extreme quality isn’t needed. The ads tell you that it’s perfect for karaoke and portable vocal studio. I’d have to agree, but you won’t be at all disappointed with the quality or the good looks of this mic. For $40, you can’t go wrong.

Rating: 9/10

Recommendation: Buy it, have some fun, and maybe hit the big time!

EZ Voice – Recording My Test Message

Note: I tested the iRig Voice microphone on my Windows Nokia 928B phone. This is not an officially ‘certified’ product and IK Multimedia does not endorse the use of the microphone on the Windows phone, so your mileage may vary. I tried it just to see if it would work and it did without any issues, but don’t blame me or IK Multimedia if the mic doesn’t work on your Windows phone.

IK Multimedia is a “Musicians First” music technology company. It makes a complete range of sound and tone solutions for Guitar & Bass players, Keyboardists, Sound Designers, Engineers, DJs and Producers. You can check out their full line of professional mobile and studio performance products at www.ikmultimedia.com.

June 19, 2014 – IK Multimedia, the global leader in mobile apps and accessories for musicians and music fans on the move, is pleased to announce the new iRig® Voice microphone line – the fun, easy-to-use and affordable vocal microphone for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Android devices. iRig Voice comes with the new free EZ Voice app, which lets you quickly and easily sing along and record with any song on your iOS or Android mobile device’s music library.

iRig Voice is designed specifically for quality voice recording and is the perfect companion to the most popular singing and music apps like IK’s EZ Voice and partner apps like Smule’s Sing! Karaoke and AutoRap, plus The Voice: On Stage by StarMaker, musiXmatch, Karaoke Anywhere by JoltSoft and many more.

iRig Voice features an ergonomic design for comfortable handheld performance, and its shape fits easily into most standard microphone stand clips for stage use. And for maximum clarity its unidirectional cardioid design features a pickup that minimizes feedback when used with speaker systems.

iRig Voice provides a unidirectional close voice pickup that’s tuned for optimal vocal frequency range reproduction. It has an on/off slide switch for quick muting, and it connects through the microphone/headphone jack found on all iOS and Android devices providing a stereo output to connect headphones or earbuds for private practice and performance.

Fun and Easy to Use for Everyone
iRig Voice is extremely easy to use. Simply connect the microphone, connect headphones or speakers, launch its free EZ Voice companion app (compatible with iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Android) and you are ready to start singing for hours of fun. You don’t need any audio skills to use EZ Voice, it’s the simple-to-use sing along app that lets you quickly and easily import your favorite songs from your music library, cancel the original vocals and add professional quality effects like reverb, chorus, pitch correction and more. Then when you’re ready, EZ Voice lets you record your performances and share them with the world via email or SoundCloud. With EZ Voice, iRig Voice is packed with a powerful app that can turn any mobile device into a fun, great sounding vocal and recording suite.

The Color of Sound – Bling it
iRig Voice comes in 5 eye-catching colors that look great on stage: Green, Blue, Yellow, Pink and White match the colors of the iPhone 5C adding a bright new level of style to any performance.

The Microphone for Everyone
With a street price comparable to a phone case, iRig Voice is so affordable that anyone can get started down the path to vocal stardom. iRig Voice is also perfect for capturing broadcast interviews in the field, conference calls, school projects, parties – it’s an ideal solution anytime vocals need to be captured.

Pricing and Availability
iRig Voice costs only $39.99/€29.99 (excluding tax) and is now shipping from music and electronics retailers worldwide and from the IK Multimedia online store. EZ Voice is a free app available for download from the App StoreSM and from the Google Play™ store.

There’s something seductive about any product that is based on a classic style. Whether it’s furniture, cars, clothes, or headphones, there’s something special in those updated retro designs. That’s what you’ll find with the Control V2 lineup of Eskuché (es-koo-chay) headphones. It’s also cool that they have an exotic sounding name. I wasn’t exactly sure how to pronounce Eskuché until I saw the phonetic helper that I’ve also provided for you.

But, it doesn’t matter how the name sounds, it matters how the product sounds and this one sounds like professional-quality to me.

The padded earpieces filter out all but the loudest of external noises. Even on lower volumes, I have to remove the headset to hear what someone is saying to me. The headband is also padded for greater comfort. The cord that attaches to your computer or other device is a soft, braided one instead of a rubber-coated one. Being soft and braided means that it won’t catch on other rubber-coated cords or get tangled easily. The cord is also far more forgiving than the rubber-coated ones. It moves as you do. There’s no stiffness to it.

Beyond the retro styling, the Eskuché Control V2 headphones are an excellent piece of audio workmanship. The sound is clear and crisp with no fuzziness that you sometimes get with ear-covering ear cups.

The headset also has a 3-button control microphone on it. Upon casual use, I didn’t notice this feature, which means that I’ve unknowingly embarrassed myself multiple times over the past week or so. I make a lot of Skype calls and I have an external microphone for those calls. I assumed, incorrectly, that this headset was just a headset and not also a microphone.

I wondered why my recorder was still responding to my extraneous noises when my microphone was muted–it has a blinking light when on mute, so there’s no doubt. After having a couple of people pause during a conversation and a “Bless you,” I figured it out and fixed the problem. I went back through my recent calls to find out just how obnoxious I’ve been and it’s not as bad as I’d thought. Still, I should have read the box a bit before plugging in and assuming all would be OK. Totally my fault but be warned that the headset has a built-in microphone. Be sure that your devices are setup to use the correct input and output so that you don’t have the same problem.

The pair that I reviewed are a very 1970s burnt orange color. There are other colors from which to choose: Light blue, chocolate brown, and cream.

I like the colors, but if you’re really going retro, there’s another list of colors that should have been used that include burnt orange: Avocado green, coppertone, harvest gold, and that loud red color that some called “Poppy.” If you’re going retro, you’ve got to go all the way.

The headset also has a music player button on the same control as the volume up/down for the microphone. If you’re using an Apple device and you press it, your music app launches and begins to play. You can also use that button for answering/hanging up your phone.

Why it’s Frugal: The Eskuché is frugal because the headset is quality made down to the 90° (right angle) input jack, so that the wire doesn’t become weak and worn. The frugality comes from being able to use a device for a period of time that offsets its cost. In other words, if you could only use the headset for three months, it wouldn’t be worth the price. Three years or more is a different story.

In all, the Eskuché headset is excellent. I really enjoy using the headset, especially now that I’ve discovered all of its features. The headset is well made, lightweight, durable and well worth the $60 price tag. If you’re an avid musicphile, you’ll love the great sound. If you’re a casual user, you’ll love that cool hipster, retro look. You’ll also like that soft cord that stays out of your way and untangled. If you’re a podcaster or audio editor, you’ll enjoy the comfort of the headset. Sometimes I forget that I have it on–honestly.

If there’s an Apple store or a Best Buy near you, I suggest that you go and try out the Eskuché headset for yourself. There’s no amount of discussion that can match your own experience. I’ve used a lot of headsets of every shape and description and I really like this one.

Rating: 9/10

Recommendation: Go try them out for yourself and listen to the sound quality. Don’t forget to look in a mirror to see how cool you look.